T
he recent downturn in the mining
industry caused the focus shit
away from the need to address
skills shortage to survival in a
climate of declining commodity prices.
However, miners are inding key statutory
roles are becoming harder to ill.
he New South Wales industry is hoping
to avert a mining skills crisis by partnering
with government and a training organisation
to provide tailored training programs and
champion diversity in the workplace.
he NSW Mining Statutory Positions
Training Process Improvement Review
Project was undertaken by the NSW
Minerals Council and the NSW government
to address the low success rate of candidates
in the examinations required to qualify for
selected mining industry roles.
he roles covered include mine managers,
production managers, mine electrical and
mechanical engineers, deputies, under
managers and open cut mine examiners, all
critical in the day-to-day running of eicient
and safe modern mining operations.
NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen
Galilee said it was considered crucial that
people in those roles were trained to the
highest standards.
“Over the past few years more than 50%
of candidates for statutory mine exams have
been failing,” he said.
“his has been a signiicant contributing
factor to the skills shortage in coal and
metalliferous mining as well as quarrying
sectors of NSW.
“In seeking to tackle this problem, all
agreed that the rigorous standards for the
examinations were inviolable, and that the
focus of the project should be on producing
best practice guides to assist employees,
employers and training providers with the
assessment process.”
he Learning Best Practice Guides were
inalised to ensure candidates, employers
and Registered Training Organisations had
an important advisory tool in preparing for
exams.
he three guides – one each for employers,
candidates and RTOs – seek to provide
advice on the key factors which will help
candidates successfully complete the
assessment process.his includes advice on selecting and
supporting candidates, providing mentoring
and coaching, exam preparation, advice on
how to liaise with employers and simple
checklists to assess commitment and
preparation.
hese guides were the inal stage of an
initiative carried out with assistance from
the NSW Department of Education and
Communities, the NSW Minerals Council,NSW Department of Trade, Investment,
Regional Infrastructure & Services and
SkillsDMC.
On another front, encouraging women to
enter the mining industry is a useful way of
ensuring diversity in the industry, which can
encourage innovation and also assist in skills
transfer.
he NSW Minerals Council is seeking
to promote companies that take gender
diversity seriously and has programs in place
to train and develop its women employees.
Its Excellence in Diversity Programs and
Performance award recognises a resources
company that is a member of a state or
federal resources sector advocacy body thathas shown excellence and innovation in
gender diversity programs and demonstrated
outstanding performance in increasing the
proportion of women in their workplaces.
Additionally, companies that have
shown increases in the proportion of
women in non-traditional roles such as
senior management, engineering, sciences,
operators and trades will be particularly
highly regarded.Skills shortage
spectre
With the mining pendulum swing back, the old skills shortage problem
is starting to come back. By Lou Caruana
18 AMM December 2017 http://www.miningmonthly.com
NEWS
The skills shortage
spectre is returning to
haunt miners anew.“Over the past few years more than 50% of candidates
for statutory mine exams have been failing. This has
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shortage in coal and metalliferous mining as well as
quarrying sectors of NSW.”- NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee